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The Commerce News
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CONTACT US: Brandon Reed / brandon@mainstreetnews.com / (706) 367-5233 or (706) 335-2927
CHS Wrestling
IB
THE COMMERCE (GA.) NEWS
WEDNESDAY,
FEBRUARY 27, 2008
Tigers Take 4th At State Tournament
Maloch Wins State Title
By Brandon Reed
The Commerce Tigers wres
tling team wrapped up its sea
son last weekend with a strong
fourth place in the Class A State
Tournament at the Gwinnett
Arena, bringing a trophy back
home to Commerce. Eight
wrestlers placed, including one
state champion.
Coach Kendall Love said he
was proud of what his team
accomplished this season.
“They worked hard, they got
better each week, and had a
great state tournament,’' he
said. “I couldn’t be prouder of
them.’’
Of the 11 Tigers that qualified
for the state tournament, eight
placed. Doug Maloch won the
state title in the 112 pound cat
egory. Addison Davis placed
third in the 103-pound class,
Casey Drinkard took fourth
at 125, Nick Arostegui placed
fourth at 130, Jon Cash was
sixth in the 135-pound class,
Phillip Edwards placed fifth
at 145, Thomas Sears finished
third in the 152 pound class
and Terrance Martin was fifth
at 160 pounds.
It was a good year for the
Tigers, as they went 21-3 in
dual competition. Two of their
three losses were to Jefferson,
who were the Class A champi
ons for the eighth consecutive
year, while third place went
to Bremen at the state duals.
The Tigers avenged that loss by
placing better than Bremen at
the state tournament. Bremen
finished fifth.
Love said overall, he was
pleased with his team’s perfor
mance during the season.
“We ended up winning three
tournaments with big fields in
them,’’ Love said. “We placed
in the top three and four in
most every tournament we
entered. Lor a team with only
one senior, I was pleased. We
have everybody who qualified
for the state tournament com
ing back again next year, plus
one that was hurt that couldn’t
compete at area. So, we should
be pretty strong next year if we
stay healthy.’’
Love also thanked his assis
tant coaches, including Jeremy
Smith, Darryl Ellrott and Jesse
Lowler.
“They were a big help through
out the year,’’ he commented.
Commerce’s Doug Maloch (top), shown here in the state finals, tournament at the Gwinnett Arena over the weekend,
brought home first place honors in the 112 lb. class at the state Photo by Al McLeod
EJCHS Wrestling
EJCHS Boys Soccer
Justin Griffith, pictured center, was one of two category, while Luis Verduzco took fourth in the
Eagles to place in state competition over the 1401b. class.
weekend. Griffith finished fourth in the 112 lb. Photo by Al McLeod
Two Eagles Place At State
By Brandon Reed
The East Jackson Eagles wrestling team wrapped
up its inaugural season with a strong showing at
the state tournament at the Gwinnett Arena over
the weekend. Overall, the team placed 19th out
of 55.
Of the five East Jackson wrestlers who quali
fied for state, two placed. Justin Griffith fin
ished fourth in the 112 pound class, while Luis
Verduzco took fourth in the 140 pound, class.
Coach Frank Caputo said they were pretty
happy with the results at state. Caputo also
said he was impressed with how the team had
improved.
“I was gone for about a month and a half, so
I hadn’t seen them,’’ he said. “But once I got a
chance to see them down at the area tournament,
I thought that they had improved vastly. I thought
that coach (Steve) Collins, coach (Tommy) Palmer,
coach (David) Adams, and Coach (Chad) Blevins
just did a fantastic job with them all.
“Coming back and watching the improvements
they made, I just can’t say enough about how
much they improved and how well they looked,
and what a great job those other coaches had
done with them. It was just fantastic.’’
Caputo says the Eagles will lose three seniors,
including two starters, this year. But that will still
leave the team with a strong core to start work
with next season.
“We’ll have 12 regulars back, and a whole lot
of other young guys that have done well for us.
We’re really excited about that opportunity as
well,” he said.
Eagles Look For Win Against Madison Co.
By Brandon Reed
The East Jackson Eagles boys’
soccer team continues to look
for its first win of the season,
after losing to Jackson County
and to Athens Academy.
The Panthers will host Madison
County on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
The Eagles started out last
week with a loss Tuesday to
Jackson County 3-2. Tony Xiong
scored on a corner kick, while
Eric VanDeventer scored on a
loose ball.
Head boys soccer coach Matt
Minor had praise for his team’s
defense.
“Defensively,freshmanBrandon
Wise and sophomore Michael
Watson played superbly,” he
said. “At midfield, junior Andy
VanDeventer,
Coming up
► vs. Madison
County, Feb. 29,
5:30 p.m.
vs. Union
County, Mar. 3,
5:45 p.m.
s o p h o -
more Eric
VanDeventer,
freshman
Victor
Eguarte, and
freshman Jon
Love all did
a wonder
ful job. At striker, sophomores
Iliya Bindyu and Tony Xiong had
another exceptional showing.”
Minor said his team flashed
signs of greatness, but a couple
of defensive miscues led to goals
for Jackson County.
East Jackson was next sched
uled to play top region opponent
North Oconee on Thursday, but
that game was rained out. A
rescheduled date has yet to be
announced.
Up next for the Eagles was
a home stand against Athens
Academy on Monday that ended
in a 15-0 loss for the Eagles. The
Spartans had entered Monday’s
contest coming off of a 3-1 loss
to Paideia over the weekend.
East Jackson’s Andy VanDeventer (21) works at East Jackson. The Panthers would go on to
to move the ball down the field against Jackson defeat the Eagles 3-2.
County’s defense during last week’s match up Photo by Brandon Reed